Wilson County through the lens: Music City Mingle

The Music City Mingle was July 7-9 in the sky above Lebanon. Pilots with the RedStar Pilot Association conducted flight operations out of the Lebanon Municipal Airport. In addition to using the airport for landings and takeoffs, the aircraft conducted aerial maneuvers from the surface to about 5,500 feet within a radius of 12-15 miles from the airport itself.

The aircraft were Chinese CJ6 and Russian YAK aircraft, and the pilots honed their flying skills in aerial formation training and military-style tactics. The pilots arrived July 7 from Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. Flight operations started in the afternoon and continued until dusk. Flight operations started July 8 early and continued throughout the day until dusk. There were limited flight operations July 9 in the morning to allow the pilots to return to their home bases.

In addition to the normal flight operations, a smaller group performed a missing man formation July 8 at 10 a.m. over the Veterans Memorial Plaza next to the Wilson County Courthouse.